Session 37

But God, I don’t want to

From 1 Samuel: A 6-Week Devotional

A picture recently became popular on Facebook. In it, a little girl is holding a small teddy bear. She is standing across from Jesus, who is holding a much larger teddy bear behind Him, while holding out His hand and asking, “Do you trust me?”

From our point of view, looking at the whole picture, it is easy to see that if the little girl will just be obedient, she will receive a bigger and better gift than the one she has. When you are in the situation of the little girl, though, sometimes it’s harder to trust that what God has for us is worth the hard things God asks of us.

What God has for us is worth the hard things God asks of us.

In 1 Samuel 2:12-21, we find one of the best examples of God asking us to trust Him and be obedient with what we have now. Hannah gave up so much when she sent Samuel to grow up in the presence of the Lord, but the blessing she got in return—three more children—was more than all she could have asked for or imagined.

God is a good father who always wants the best for His children, so He will never ask us to give up something we love or are comfortable in without having something better waiting on us.

Reflect:

• Has God ever asked you to give up something?
• Can you a remember a time when God gave you more than you expected after you took a step of obedience?
• What is one step you need to take today to trust God and be obedient to what He’s asking you to do?